It’s Thanksgiving season. What better time could there be to take a look at the concept of Gratitude in our everyday lives?  Should we not feel gratitude at other times of the year as well?

Thinking about my relationship to Gratitude, I realize that I’m always vaguely aware that I have much in my life to be grateful for. When pressed—I can enumerate many “blessings” I enjoy every day.  The reality is, though, that much of the time my awareness is way more focused on the ways in which I’m not content.  Things are not right.  Things are not exactly as I would like them.  Thinking about this makes me “grumpy”.  At my “grumpiest”, I’m in a “bad” mood and I tend to push people away because they grow tired of my complaints.  I can’t blame people for this, but it makes me feel sad and alone.  Inwardly, I complain even more…about this.

I refer to the above as my “downward spiral”.  Negative thinking and a negative attitude have no “upside” for me.  In fact what I have done in these instances is to dig myself into a self-perpetuating negative hole…that can sometimes be hard to dig myself out of.

In contrast to the “downward spiral” of negativity I often feel, I know that when I remember to begin each morning with at least one thing I’m grateful for, the trajectory of my mood takes a very different path. As if by magic, when I notice or remember one thing that is positive and joyful….I see more and more things that fit this description.  The key is that I have to consciously direct myself to notice small miracles all around me.  They were there the whole time, of course, but I’m choosing now to see them.

So now…. I’m in an “upward spiral”.  It feels physically better.  People are attracted to this energy and I feel connected to the world in a way that brings me further joy and contentment.

It seems to me that the way gratitude operates is a great example of how each of us is actually capable of creating the reality that we live in.  By this I don’t mean that we should be “in denial” about all of the random unfortunate events that happen to us all.  These events are real.  What I mean is that bringing gratitude into the forefront of our thinking can help create the resilience that helps us all through times of deep despair.

Isn’t there always something to be grateful for?

That’s the place to start.

“An attitude of gratitude” will create a better world for us all to live in.

Guaranteed